Supporting community has always been a part of BCLC’s DNA. Since 1985, we’ve been helping people feel part of something bigger than themselves by creating entertaining products and experiences that both bring people together and help communities across B.C. thrive.
This work has been guided by our social purpose – to generate win-wins for the greater good – which means that every decision we make is with the intention of positively contributing to the progress of our society.
As BCLC’s Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President of Marketing — and on this year marking the organization’s 40th anniversary — I’ve been reflecting a lot on our social purpose journey, and where we are going next.
Like most organizations, we began with a strong focus on our core services and business objectives. But over time, it became clear that our impact went far beyond our products and revenue. We were not just in business for something — we were in business because of something: a deep belief that our work should benefit people and our communities.
Forty years on, we had a unique opportunity to really redefine what a gambling organization can be – to further define that ‘because’ and to bring our social purpose to life in a new, more focused way. And to do this, we reached out to our people, partners, players and the public.
Our people and partners let us know that a clear focus to our social purpose would help differentiate us from competitors and ultimately create a more meaningful reason to choose to work and partner with us.
Across the province, we heard from our players and the public who told us that they’re looking for experiences that go beyond winning a cash prize. They are interested in new, shared experiences that foster meaningful links to their communities, and beyond.
And we looked at the research that shows that across Canada, social isolation is on the rise with both Canadians and British Columbians alike identifying a sense of disconnect with their community and each other.
It was through this consultation and research, that we made the decision to focus and bring our social purpose to life through human connection. Simply put: from the products we design, to the partnerships we build, to the ways we give back to B.C. – we will aim to have connection at the core of our business.
We know that we operate in a competitive market. Not only do we compete with illegal online gambling operators we also compete in the entertainment space for British Columbian’s precious discretionary dollars. We believe that focusing on human connection will help provide that essential differentiation from our competitors and, ultimately, drive overall business growth.
And already we’ve seen the impact this kind of work can have: last year, we introduced the Concert of a Lifetime Scratch & Win ticket, a ticket that offered a chance to win a VIP suite for the winner and 13 friends at BC Place for one of the biggest concerts of the year.
And just recently we launched Greater Good Giveaway; a B.C.-only Scratch & Win ticket that offers a Top Prize for both players and a registered B.C. charity of their choice. Top Prize winners will receive $10,000 for themselves and $10,000 for one of over 12,000 registered B.C. charities listed on CanadaHelps.
Our key focus now is continuing to embed and bring to life human connection across our organization —through our employee culture, how we approach partnerships and, as said above, with our players via new products, services and experiences.
This work is a holistic, organization-wide commitment that shapes how we show up for our employees, our partners, and our players. It helps us stand apart from competitors and give players and partners a meaningful reason to choose to play and work with us. Ultimately, bringing human connection to life is key to our vision of delivering exceptional gambling entertainment that builds and benefits community. Because we believe that when we feel more connected to each other, our communities and our province, together we win.
